Most Talkative: Stories from the Front Lines of Pop Culture

From a young age, Andy Cohen knew two things: He was gay, and he loved television. Now presiding over Bravo's reality-TV empire, he started out as an overly talkative pop-culture obsessive, devoted to Charlie's Angels and All My Children - and to his mother, who received daily letters from him while he was at summer camp, usually reminding her to tape the soaps. In retrospect, it's hard to believe that everyone didn't know that Andy was gay; still, he remained in the closet until college. Finally out, he embarked on making a career out of his passion for television.

This book was so funny! I loved it! Even watching Andy on Watch What Happens did not reveal this very funny side of him. I totally enjoyed his funny twists and creative ways of telling all the stories in this book. I love his honesty - not self deprecating, just honest. As mad as I was with the obviously biased way he treated Teresa Guidice at the last RHONJ reunion (2011), I am now grudgingly able to lighten up on him somewhat. Prior to his shredding of Teresa, I did not have a particular feeling one way or the other about him. After Teresa, I did not like him. Now I have somewhat forgiven him. He came alive in a new and colorful way for me. By the way, his narration is to die for. For that I gave him a solid 10/10. Get this book. It is a light, refreshing and easy listen. You will be pleased you did. I may even listen more than once.

The Andy Cohen Diaries: A Deep Look at a Shallow Year

In this dishy, detailed diary of one year in his life, Andy goes out on the town, drops names, hosts a ton of shows, becomes codependent with Real Housewives, makes trouble, calls his mom, drops some more names, and, while searching for love, finds it with a dog. We learn everything from which celebrity peed in her WWHL dressing room to which Housewives are causing trouble and how. Nothing is off limits - including dating.

Andy is hilariously funny and chatty as always. This book reads a little like Sex in The City. His narration is on point. It is a nice fun escape listen and I can't imagine anyone not enjoying this book. Add it to you collection. You will love it!

Respect: The Life of Aretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin began life as the golden daughter of a progressive and promiscuous Baptist preacher. Raised without her mother, she was a gospel prodigy who gave birth to two sons in her teens and left them and her native Detroit for New York, where she struggled to find her true voice. It was not until 1967, when a white Jewish producer insisted she return to her gospel-soul roots, that fame and fortune finally came via "Respect" and a rapidfire string of hits.

This book was well researched and seemingly balanced. It showed the complex person that Franklin is. I have read that Franklin has or is planning to bring suite against the author but I do not feel this book takes anything away from Franklin. Public figures are just like the rest of us - multi-faceted and flawed with details of our life we are proud of and things we are not. The discography was very tedious to me - too many details. Overall though, it is s great book and I will probably listen to it again.

There Was a Little Girl: The Real Story of My Mother and Me

Brooke Shields never had what anyone would consider an ordinary life. She was raised by her Newark-tough single mom, Teri, a woman who loved the world of show business and was often a media sensation all by herself. Brooke's iconic modeling career began by chance when she was only 11 months old, and Teri's skills as both Brooke's mother and manager were formidable. But in private she was troubled and drinking heavily.

Brooke started off the book saying that she wanted the present a better portrait of her mother to counter the object of ridicule that was often presented in the press. The first part of the book was sweet - a daughter presenting a likeable mother she admires. I have never dealt close up with an alcoholic and I can only imagine the struggle and disappointment it was for Brooke growing up and I admire her efforts to help her mother earlier on. Later on in her adulthood, even after she must have realized that alcoholism is a disease, she did not treat her mother well. Granted she may have been frustrated that her mother did not see her drinking as a problem but that is a part of the pathology. Long story short, I feel that Terri Shields end up coming off as much more likeable and sympathetic than Brooke. Brooke's poor treatment of Terri and her sometimes selfishness and slight narcissism bled through, unintentionally I imagine. Nevertheless, this is a good enough book since whether or not you like the characters is not the measure of a good book.

Remember the Time: Protecting Michael Jackson in His Final Days

Hounded by the tabloid media, driven from his self-made sanctuary at Neverland, Michael Jackson spent his final years moving from city to city, living with his three children in virtual seclusion - a futile attempt to escape a world that wouldn’t leave him alone. During that time, two men served as the singer’s personal security team: Bill Whitfield, a former cop and veteran of the security profession, and Javon Beard, a brash, untested rookie, both single fathers themselves. Stationed at his side nearly 24/7, their job was to see and hear everything that transpired.

I have read many biographies on Jackson - some unbiased, some questionable. With all that happened in the last few decades of his life, one struggles to decide on what the truth really is. This book talks about the human being that Jackson was - the loving parent, the kind decent person, his struggles to find people he can trust and more than anything, the of often sad lonely person he was. He was a dichotomy - a brilliant talent but someone who desperately lack basic money skills like managing his earnings, prioritizing his financial responsibilities or even knowing how to use a credit card. This book was written without the authors attributing more significance to there place in Jackson's life as many would do. Another reviewer said this and I will echo it too - this will be my last book on Jackson. Thank you Bill Whitfield and Javon Beard. I hope this book does well.

Open: An Autobiography

From Andre Agassi, one of the most beloved athletes in history and one of the most gifted men ever to step onto a tennis court, a beautiful, haunting autobiography. Agassi brings a near-photographic memory to every pivotal match and every relationship. Never before has the inner game of tennis and the outer game of fame been so precisely limned.

This was not only well written but it is a good story often feeling like a well written novel. Agassi is honest and raw - poignant and often subtly humorous. I am not a tennis buff but did not find the tennis talk unbearable. My barometer of how good a book is how much my mind drifts from the story and this did not happen one - I was kept engaged the whole listen. The narrator was a perfect match also. I will browse for other books he narrates. The high ratings that still resulted from the cumulative rating to number of raters speaks volumes. Go ahead and get this book, you will be pleasantly surprised.

And the Mountains Echoed

Khaled Hosseini, the number-one New York Times best-selling author of The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, has written a new novel about how we love, how we take care of one another, and how the choices we make resonate through generations.

I got this book because I I love and respect Hosseini's works. Like his other books, this book takes the reader on deeply wonderful journey of complex characters with poignant stories that stays with the reader for a long time. I had to listen to the book a second time to fill in some of what I missed the first time. Hosseini's characters are always well fleshed out and the details in his stories are so intricately textured.This book underscores how as human beings we make decisions because in the moment we feel these decisions are the best given the circumstances. Many times, however, these decisions change the courses of lives and even those of subsequent generations. The narrators did not detract from the story for me. Rather, they gave the story more credibility and their voices seemed "right to me." This author has me for life! If he scribbles on a paper napkin I will be reading it! If you like Hosseini's other books you may love this even more! Go ahead and get it, I promise this one will haunt your soul.

Remembering Whitney: My Story of Love, Loss, and the Night the Music Stopped

On the eve of the 2012 Grammy Awards, the world learned of a stunning tragedy: Whitney Houston, unquestionably one of the most remarkable and powerful voices in all of music, had been silenced forever. Over the weeks and months that followed, family, friends, and fans alike tried to understand how such a magnificent talent and beautiful soul could have been taken so early and so unexpectedly. Honest and heartbreaking, this is a mother's story of tears, joy, and her greatest love of all: her daughter, Whitney.

If you could sum up Remembering Whitney in three words, what would they be?

A very balanced and well written account of a mother's loving yet candid view of her daughter's life.

Who was your favorite character and why?

This is not the type of book where one ends up having a favorite character. Cissy, Whitney and all the people Cissy wrote about are viewed objectively. The listener does not even leave disliking Bobby Brown. The listener is able to remain detached and learn more about Whitney, which is the point of listening to the audiobook.

What does Robin Miles bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Robin Miles is simply the best. Her narration is always suited to whatever she narrates. Although she did not try to mimic Cissy's voice or speech pattern, she captured all the nuances and emotions intended.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes.... it captured my attention from start to finish.

Any additional comments?

You definitely will not be disappointed. Whitney had a disease called addiction that she just was not able to overcome. Cissy never made excuses for Whitney, she merely told her story. It seems Whitney started dabbling in drugs at a time when entertainers did not realize the potential negative effects.

The Caretaker's Story: A Grisly Tale of Supernatural Revenge!

A rich English gentleman thinks he has found the perfect caretaker for an isolated cottage near the sea: a veteran sailor with a taste for solitude. But when he returns to the cottage months later, the gentleman can find no trace of the caretaker. Then he is savagely attacked by a seagull, normally the most pacifistic of creatures.

11-22-63: A Novel

On November 22, 1963, three shots rang out in Dallas, President Kennedy died, and the world changed. What if you could change it back? In this brilliantly conceived tour de force, Stephen King - who has absorbed the social, political, and popular culture of his generation more imaginatively and thoroughly than any other writer - takes listeners on an incredible journey into the past and the possibility of altering it.

I kept overlooking this book because although I have loved many of King's earlier books, in later years it has been hit or miss for me - some books I could not even finish. I was totally satisfied with this book. Even though one could argue that time travel is an out there theory, the plot took the reader right along with it and made every minute of the story believable and even relatable. The narration is also on point. At the end of the story I found myself missing the protagonist and feeling like I was parting with a companion.

My Song: A Memoir

Belafonte grew up, poverty-ridden, in Harlem and Jamaica. His mother was a complex woman - caring but withdrawn, eternally angry and rarely satisfied. His father was distant and physically abusive. It was not an easy life, but it instilled in young Harry the hard-nosed toughness of the city and the resilient spirit of the Caribbean lifestyle. It also gave him the drive to make good and channel his anger into actions that were positive and life-affirming. His journey led to the U.S. Navy during World War II, where he encountered an onslaught of racism but also fell in love with the woman he eventually married.

I totally did not know Harry Belafonte this way. I had not known how important he was to the civil rights movement and I had known how big of an entertainer he was in his time. Belafonte does come across as somewhat arrogant but the reader is able to overlook this because his contribution is so vast (assuming all he says is true and I think he is credible). The reader also realizes that entertainment was actually the secondary role in his life and tackling social causes was the primary. As mentioned before, he has a pronounced ego but I suppose that worked for him in instances when he needed to be strong and self-assured. He has strong opinions on public figures that I do not always agree with but that is uniquely who he is - he usually speaks his mind. I also question some of the things he found necessary to include in the book like MLK's true feelings about his wife - it was not important to Belafonte's story and not his business to reveal. Like him a lot or a little, it is an interesting book that is well written and engagingly narrated.

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